Study Protocol: Effect of prenatal wheel-running exercise (before and during gestation) on cocaine psychomotor sensitization expressed in the offspring in periadolescent females and males C57BL/6J mice

The present study principally aims at determining to which extent prenatal exercise (before and during gestation) could affect the initiation (establishment) and the expression of psychomotor sensitization induced by a representative dose of cocaine in young female and male mice. More specifically, we will assess cocaine-induced acute psychomotor-activating effects, psychomotor sensitization developing over 9 daily sessions (daily peritoneal injections of cocaine or saline) and the long-term expression of the sensitized response (30 days after the last sensitizing injection) in C57BL/6J mice born from mothers housed with or without a running wheel before and during gestation. Based on literature and on our prior results, the mice born from exercised mothers are expected to show significantly reduced levels of cocaine responsiveness in comparison with the control mice (born from unexercised mothers)

What Determines the Depth of BALs? Keck HIRES Observations of BALQSO 1603+300

We find that the depth and shape of the broad absorption lines (BALs) in BALQSO 1603+3002 are determined largely by the fraction of the emitting source which is covered by the BAL flow. In addition, the observed depth of the BALs is poorly correlated with their real optical depth. The implication of this result is that abundance studies based on direct extraction of column densities from the depth of the absorption troughs are unreliable. Our conclusion is based on analysis of unblended absorption features of two lines from the same ion (in this case the Si IV doublet), which allows unambiguous separation of covering factor and optical depth effects. The complex morphology of the covering factor as a function of velocity suggests that the BALs are produced by several physically separated outflows. The covering factor is ion dependent in both depth and velocity width. We also find evidence that in BALQSO 1603+3002 the flow does not cover the broad emission line region.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Caractérisation du comportement adoucissant de l’Epicéa à partir d’essais de fissuration en Mode I

Cette étude se base sur le couplage associant les expériences et les méthodes numériques (calcul EF). À partir d’essais de fissuration, on détermine les paramètres de la loi cohésive caractérisant l’image de la Process Zone en pointe de fissure; ces derniers décrivent le comportement adoucissant de l’épicéa. On décrit les connexions permettant d’extraire les propriétés mécaniques du bois étudié à partir d’une relation force-ouverture par rétro-analyse numérique

A near-solar metallicity damped Lyman-alpha system toward the BAL quasar Tol 1037-2703

We report the detection of a Broad Absorption Line (BAL) outflow in the spectrum of Tol 1037-2703 with three main BALs at 36000, 25300 and 22300~\kms outflow velocities. Although the overall flow is dominated by high ionization lines like and C IV, the gas of highest velocity shows absorption from Mg I, Mg II and Fe II. Covering factor arguments suggest that the absorbing complexes are physically associated with the QSO and have transverse dimensions smaller than that of the UV continuum emitting region (r<0.1 pc). We show that the C IV absorption at \zabs=2.082 has a covering factor $\sim$ 0.86 and the absorption profile has varied over the last four years. The detection of absorption from excited fine structure levels of C II and Si II in narrow components embedded in the C IV trough reveals large density inhomogeneities. IR pumping is the most likely excitation process. The \zabs=2.139 system is a damped system with log N(H I) ~ 19.7. The weakness of the metal lines together with the high quality of the data make the metallicity measurements particularly reliable. The absolute metallicity is close to solar with [Zn/H]=-0.26. The $\alpha$-chain elements have metallicities consistently solar (respectively +0.05, -0.02, -0.03 and -0.15 for [Mg/H], [Si/H], [P/H] and [S/H]) and iron peak elements are depleted by a factor of about two ([Fe/Zn], [Cr/Zn], [Mn/Zn] and [Ni/Zn] are equal to -0.39, -0.27, -0.49, -0.30). Lines from C I are detected but H$_2$ is absent with a molecular fraction less than 8$\times10^{-6}$. High metallicity and low nitrogen abundance, [N/Zn]=-1.40, favor the idea that metals have been released by massive stars during a starburst of less than 0.5 Gyr of age. (abridged)Comment: To appear in A & A, 12 pages, latex, 15 figure

Leo program, a short multi-family skill-based psychoeducational program for caregivers of relatives living with a severe mental disorder: a retrospective pilot study

BackgroundCaring for a relative with a severe mental disorder (SMD) is associated with high levels of burden and poor physical and mental health. There is a dire need for family psychoeducational programs that can be provided as early as possible. This manuscript describes the pilot testing of “Leo” a motivational-based psychoeducational program for caregivers of individuals with a SMD. The Leo program aims to provide caregivers with skills to best support their relative and to adopt self-care behaviors.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed medical records of caregivers who enrolled in a short, multi-family, skill-based psychoeducational program, consisting of eight 3-hour sessions over 8 weeks. Outcomes of interest included: i) adherence to the program, ii) satisfaction and perceived usefulness, and iii) pre-post changes in self-reported levels of depression (CES-D), burden (ZBI), and skills (10 Likert-scaled items). A network analysis was used to investigate the relationships between pre-post changes in self-evaluated skills and pre-post changes in burden and depression levels.ResultsOver the 91 enrolled participants, 87 (95.6%) completed the program attending at least 5/8 sessions, 80.5% attending all sessions. Seventy-six caregivers fulfilled the questionnaires at baseline and after the program, and were included in the analysis. Although there was no evidence for significant change in self-reported depression levels (Cohen’s d=0.19, p=0.210), burden scores and all evaluated skills were improved post-intervention, with medium to strong effect size (Cohen’s ds from 0.47 to 0.87; p&lt;0.001). Network output indicated that increased self-evaluated competence in 5 skills were associated with a global improvement in caregivers’ burden and/or depression scores. Post-intervention, 89.7% of caregivers were “very satisfied” and 82.1% found the program “extremely useful”.ConclusionThis pilot retrospective study shows high levels of satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and adherence to “Leo”, a short, multi-family, skill-based psychoeducational program with promising results in improving caregivers’ burden, self-evaluated competence in coping with caregiving demands and in self-care behaviors. This study provides preliminary insights into the mechanisms by which family psychoeducation might alleviate burden of care. A larger-scaled, controlled, randomized study with follow-up assessments is warranted to determine how burden, depression, and skills, as well as their inter-relationships, evolve over time

Role of eprinomectin as inhibitor of the ruminant ABCG2 transporter: Effects on plasma distribution of danofloxacin and meloxicam in sheep

6 p.Therapeutic outcome results of the coadministration of several drugs in veterinary medicine is affected by, among others, the relationship between drugs and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, such as ABCG2. ABCG2 is an efflux protein involved in the bioavailability and milk secretion of drugs. The aim of this work was to determine the role of eprinomectin, a macrocyclic lactone (ML) member of avermectin class, as inhibitor of ABCG2. The experiments were carried out through in vitro inhibition assays based on mitoxantrone accumulation and transport assays in ovine ABCG2 transduced cells using the antimicrobial drug danofloxacin and the anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam, both widely used in veterinary medicine and well known ABCG2 substrates. The inhibition results obtained showed that eprinomectin was an efficient in vitro ABCG2 inhibitor, tested in mitoxantrone accumulation assays. In addition, this ML decreased ovine ABCG2-mediated transport of danofloxacin and meloxicam. To evaluate the role of eprinomectin in systemic exposure of drugs, pharmacokinetic assays based on subcutaneous coadministration of eprinomectin with danofloxacin (1.25 mg/kg) or meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg) in sheep were performed obtaining a significant increase of systemic exposure of these drugs. Especially relevant was the increase of the systemic concentration of meloxicam, since coadministration with eprinomectin increased significantly the plasma concentration of meloxicam, obtaining an increase of AUC (0-72 h) value of more than 40%

Bilinear softening parameters and equivalent LEFM R-curve in quasibrittle failure

For composites and adhesive joints, the determination of the cohesive zone parameters from Double Cantilever Beam specimens loaded with pure moments is now well established and documented. However, for quasibrittle materials used in Civil Engineering such as concrete or wood, the difficulty to apply a pure bending moment lies inappropriated the method used for composites. Nevertheless, the one-to-one correspondence which exists between the R-curve and the softening curve is here revisited and adapted for any kind of specimen geometry and for the bilinear approximation of the softening function, well-known to successfully describe the failure of a wide group of quasibrittle materials. It is shown that even though the connections between the cohesive parameters and the ‘equivalent LEFM’ R-curve are geometry and material dependent, their trends are preserved whatever the specimen geometry and the material are. The outline of a general estimation procedure of the cohesive zone parameters funded on the equivalent LEFM R-curve is proposed

Network analysis of the associations between personality traits, cognitive functioning, and inflammatory markers in elderly individuals without dementia

IntroductionLower cognitive functioning in old age has been associated with personality traits or systemic inflammatory markers. Associations have also been found between personality traits and inflammatory markers. However, no study has explored the inter-relationships between these three components simultaneously. The present study aims to better understand the inter-relationships among personality traits, inflammatory markers, and cognitive performance in elderly individuals without dementia.MethodsThis study utilizes a network analysis approach, a statistical method that allows visualization of the data’s unique pairwise associations. We performed a cross-sectional analysis on 720 elderly individuals without dementia, using data from Colaus|PsyColaus, a population-based study conducted in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Revised NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI-R) was used to assess personality traits, and interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were used as peripheral inflammatory markers. Cognitive domains were investigated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Verbal Fluency Test, the Stroop Test, the DO40, and the Free and Cued Selective Reminding (FCSR) test.ResultsOpenness was associated with verbal fluency and Agreeableness with immediate free recall. In contrast, no association between inflammatory markers and personality traits or cognition was identified.DiscussionIn elderly individuals without dementia, a high level of Openness or Agreeableness was associated with executive functioning/semantic memory and episodic memory, respectively